Girl group XG has been leading the charge in the global pop space since their debut three years ago.
The seven-piece hip-hop and R&B-inspired group — made up of members Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Harvey, Juria, Maya and Cocona — debuted in 2022 with the single “Tippy Toes.” In the time since the undeniably catchy song, XG has ventured into an array of different genres with songs like the rap-heavy “Woke Up” to the Y2K-feeling “Left Right” and “Shooting Star.”
Formed by Japanese entertainment company XGLAX, a global fanbase has always been XG’s target. The seven-piece outfit took yet another step forward on the global stage this past April, making their Coachella debut to much fanfare.
The women of XG stopped by The Hollywood Reporter’s L.A. office to discuss Coachella, their recent single “Million Places,” their world tour and what they hope for the future.
Can you tell me about your experience at Coachella?
MAYA We’re still not over how amazing Coachella was. The energy was just so crazy, and it was our first time ever going to Coachella. It was one of our dream stages and it’s one of the biggest music festivals in the world, so we were so grateful and honored to be able to perform [at the festival]. There were so many Alphaz who came to watch our performance, so we’re grateful for them.
What were preparations for Coachella like? How long were you were preparing — there were obviously things you couldn’t prepare for, like a windy stage.
MAYA Super windy.
CHISA Coachella is a stage we’ve been dreaming about for so long. We worked on the setlist together, focusing on the transitions between the songs too. Since it was a band adaptation, we basically built the stage from scratch. We also worked on a new choreography; a dance routine called “Shinobi.” We practiced all this after arriving in L.A. We rearranged the MC for Coachella too. We are doing a world now [that has] a different setlist. This Coachella-exclusive setlist shows everything great about us. We practiced over and over again — we even changed the setlist at the very last moment. We poured our hearts into it. It was fun, but very windy, much more than we expected. We had a blast. The vibe was awesome and very festive. But we need to solve the wind problem, so you may see some changes during week two. (This interview was conducted between week one and week two.)
You all looked like you were having so much fun. Were there any surprise moments on stage for any of you?
COCONA During “Is This Love,” although it was just for a moment, there’s this scene where we wave flowers. The audience also waved with their lightsticks. They danced to “Left Right” like this [motions hands from left to right]. In the last part, some were dancing along with us. I saw many Alphaz in the front row — they were shouting “XG,” which made us really happy. We were more focused at Coachella compared to [our recent] world tour, so we weren’t able to interact with our fans as we usually do. But even with the in-ears [in], I could hear them cheering and singing. I was excited to see new people dancing along with us. During “IYKYK,” they were like “Wooo!” It was a happy surprise.
Is there anything you learned from the experience? Even if just from week one to week two?
JURIA We’ve got tons. It went beyond our expectations. Since Coachella is held outdoors, the wind felt strong, as we mentioned earlier. I wore my hair down because I like it that way. But my face got covered with the wind. There were many other incidents partly because it was outdoors. I’ll take this as a lesson and wear my hair up next time. It was a valuable learning experience. Performing in a different environment from the world tour taught us so many things. Performing at an outdoor festival like Coachella was such a huge honor.
Can you tell me about “Million Places?”
JURIN We’ve [been] touring around the world for about a year. This song is filled with the precious moments we shared with Alphaz. The song and lyrics, for example, reflect our visit to the U.S. and what we experienced in Paris. This song is filled with memories of what we’ve actually been through. This song will take Alphaz back to the world tour. It’s going to be a special song. I’m very sure about this.
CHISA It’s a moving track.
What was your experience touring the world like? Can you share how you were able to go through this experience together and about some of your favorite moments?
HINATA During the world tour, we worked together to build the stage. That experience gave us a deeper sense of responsibility and it made our bond even stronger.
CHISA We held space meetings, right?
HINATA We simply talked, nothing formal. We had plenty of communication [with one another].
JURIN On top of that, the World Tour and, of course, Coachella have been our dreams since our debut. It’s like we’ve hit a major milestone. It reminds us of our trainee days when we got through difficult moments together. Everything we’ve been through is precious. Each time, we celebrate together by sharing meals, for instance. Those small moments make us happy. We’ve begun to realize how valuable these experiences have been. It’s a great motivation for us.
You’ve already hit a lot of milestones as a group. What are your aspirations going forward? Do you have a big dream you’re working towards?
HARVEY There are so many goals we want to achieve, both as a team and as individuals. The most important thing, I believe, is that we enjoy what we do every day. We can already do that, so I’d love to keep that going from now on. Since 2025, I’ve been feeling that. Since we’ve always valued the idea of enjoying the moment. I think that makes the “just do it” mindset [we have] feel even more important. We feel nervous and anxious when trying something new, but the seven of us can pull it off if we just do it. Each of us has unique senses and talents. It gives us the confidence to keep chasing our goals and dreams. My biggest goal for the seven of us is to perform at the Super Bowl.
As XG, you’ve been able to explore different genres and try new things. How would you describe the group’s true musical identity?
CHISA Space is a core part of our identity. It’s reflected in many of our songs. Of course, the wolf-motif, too. We always say, “Let’s head to outer space.” Space is infinite [and] nothing is impossible. Our music embodies infinite possibilities. I would say [what defines our music] is outer space, infinity and the idea that nothing is impossible.
What was it like to be able to see so many of your fans, Alphaz, at Coachella and around the world on the tour? Many of them have been supporting you from afar, but you were finally able to meet them up close.
MAYA It was such an amazing feeling. I think seeing so many of our Alphaz show up to our concert just to have fun, have the time of their lives [and] enjoy our music together means so much to us. I feel like our Alphaz are so cute and they have the best energy. I feel like every time we see each other, it’s something new. Throughout this world tour, I feel like we built this relationship where we can’t be separated, we’re always together. “Million Places” is a song about that, about all the precious and special moments we had with our Alphaz. I’m hoping our Alphaz get teary [or] get emotional by hearing this song. It’s a beautiful song and I’m really excited to sing song together.